(printable version)

AGENDA FOR 2-DAY SEMINAR

DAY 1
  1. Explanation of cross cultural communication.
  2. Presenter's self-introduction.
  3. Dyad - participants tell each other their stories. (Experiential.) Debrief dyad. (Large group discussion.)
  4. Group introductions.
  5. Break.
  6. William Perry - Scheme of Cognitive and Ethical Development. (Presentation - discussion and application.)
  7. Sissela Bok - Ethics: Four Moral Constraints. (Presentation - discussion and application.)
  8. Lunch - one hour.
  9. Group rest period. (Experiential.)
  10. Second Presenter's self-introduction.
  11. Dyad - process Perry and Bok. (Debrief.)
  12. Break.
  13. Transition to basic premise - present model from Re-evaluation Counseling. (Presentation and discussion.)
  14. Dyad - listening exercise on earliest memory of internalized oppression. (Experiential.) Debrief dyad. (Large group discussion.)
  15. Break.
  16. Introduction and definitions of systematic oppressions. (Presentation and discussion.)
  17. Patterns of group internalized oppression. (Presentation and discussion.)
  18. End of day one

The first day will emphasize the breaking down of barriers by encouraging sharing within the group. We will do a listening exercise in dyads as we talk about our lives.

We will establish pragmatic frameworks for processing and learning communication skills. These frameworks include an explanation of Perry's theory of cognitive and ethical development, Bok's four moral constraints, and the working assumptions of the Re-evaluation Counseling model. Breaking into dyads, we will process and apply the information.

We will investigate the origins of behavior, including oppression and socialization. We will break into dyads to process the concepts and make applications to our personal life as well as our work life.

DAY 2
 
  1. Dyad - review of day one. Debrief. (Large group discussion.)
  2. Break.
  3. Culture vs. oppression.
  4. Dyad. Debrief. (Large group discussion.)
  5. Lunch - one hour.
  6. Group rest period. (Experiential.)
  7. Target / non-target exercise. (Experiential.)
  8. Non-target group. (Presentation and discussion, experiential.)
  9. Break.
  10. Dyad. (As non-targets of an oppression, what has been good about being an ally and what has been hard?)
  11. Debrief dyad. (Large group discussion.)
  12. Closing circle. End of day two.


The second day will open with a review of the first day to address any questions, dispel confusion, and tie up loose ends from the first day.

We will differentiate between culture and oppression to create a workable perspective within one's cultural context. An exercise on oppression will help people understand experientially what it feels like to be a target or a non-target of an oppression. This experience can reveal how people perceive the world, groups, and individuals, and how that perception plays out in interactions with one another.

Non-target groups will be assisted to look at loss because of dominance. We will learn to reclaim pride in our own group which assists in our progression to a more universal understanding.

We will use dyads to access the fear which limits our capacity and confidence to be committed allies to each other. We will implement strategies on how to counteract that fear and expand effectiveness in communication. We will close with a circle.

NOTE: This agenda is a general outline of the workshop and may be customized in order to meet the specific needs of each group.